This Hopes And Fears youth work session plan is a simple way to set up some expectations and allay some fears when forming a new youth group.
Objective
To have each young person share one or more hopes for their time in the group (this can be anything positive that they are looking forward to) and one or more fears (anything at all they might be having anxiety about) regarding the upcoming sessions.
Resources
- Flipchart paper or other paper. Erase-able boards work too, but try to get a picture of it or record the information somehow so you can come back to it.
- Writing tools (markers, chalk, etc.)
Steps
- I usually write Hopes in blue or green and Fears in black or red on the paper.
- Ask about the youth group’s hopes and fears and write down their answers. You don’t have to put down who said what. Use questioning skills to get them to give ideas.
- Set clear expectations. Address each hope and fear so that youth know what to expect from the sessions. I used to have youth that put ‘writing’ under the fears; I stated from the start that there would be some writing, but that it wouldn’t be too much and showed them an example of the types of writing we did on the project. This way I didn’t promise there wouldn’t be any writing, but they had the fear of the unknown answered for them.
- Hang it on the wall or bring it out occasionally throughout the course of your program so that the youth can see if you are addressing both their hopes and fears for the sessions.
I often found that youth – particularly the young men – were hesitant to share ‘fears’, so open it up to anything they’re not looking forward to or might be a little anxious about or don’t like. When asked gently, most youth will share something that it’s important for you to know about as a youth worker, like a fear of heights (will there be height activities?), writing (how much writing will there be?) and others.
As I mentioned in the final step, I like to take out the list of hopes and fears and go over them periodically throughout the time you meet with them and at the end. This is to make sure you’re actually managing their expectations (and your own!) well and continuing to address any fears, anxieties or causes of disinterest in your program.
If your group is ongoing, give your first hopes and fears list a deadline, review it when it’s time and then create a new list for your evolving group dynamics.
Question: What are some hopes and fears you would share with your youth? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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